A data center can be described as a room that houses a number of racks containing computer, or other electronic, equipment. Racks in use today are generally capable of containing around forty individual systems, with future rack configurations being capable of containing up to eighty or more systems.
A typical circuit board that is fitted to a rack has numerous electronic components including processors, micro-controllers, video cards, and memory. The typical circuit board can dissipate approximately 250 watts of power. Therefore a single rack in use today that contains around forty systems can dissipate around 10,000 watts of power.
It is not uncommon to house between eighty and one hundred racks in a single room. In light of the amount of power that each rack can dissipate, the ambient temperature of the single room can become unacceptably high without adequate cooling. Most data centers employ a cooling system for cooling rooms that house the racks. A typical cooling system includes a unit for generating a flow of cooling fluid (which is normally cooled air) and a plenum that is defined by a raised floor in the room that houses the racks. The cooling fluid from the unit generally flows through the plenum and out thereof in to the room via vents fitted to the openings in the raised floor.
Adjustable vents have been developed that can be fitted to the openings in the raised floor. The adjustable vents can be adjusted so that the flow of cooling fluid from the vent provides the required environmental conditions in the room housing the racks. Typically, this could involve restricting the outlet area of the vent so as to reduce the flow of cooling fluid therefrom to cause the ambient temperature of the room to increase.
The adjustable vents include an electromechanical assembly that enables the vent to be adjusted remotely. The electromechanical assembly generally includes a drive motor for opening and closing a vent shutter. The electromechanical assembly receives power for the drive motor from a remote power source via an electrical cable that is usually located in the plenum. This technique of providing the drive motor with power can be expensive, inconvenient, and add to the collection of cables located in the plenum.